Software systems rule our world. My regular newsletter explores the human factors that make software engineering so unique, so difficult, so important and all consuming.
The Human DevOps - 15th July 2024 - Rain Clouds
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It has not by any means been a good summer in the Netherlands. It's been very wet and the last few days have also been extremely windy. At work, on the streets and on the roads, there is a tension. I try to take the time to go out for a lunchtime walk at least a couple of times a week and took this photo last week during a gap in the rain. And we head towards the summer break, make sure to take some time to relax before you face the serious business of relaxation. I'm taking a break for a few weeks myself and will be back again in September. Lots to look forward to then including the (for me) much awaited return of the Fast Flow Conference in London. Over a year has passed since the last Fast Flow Conference and in my mind a lot has changed. I no longer view the software world as problem that needs to be fixed, and don't believe that "Flow" is the answer. I believe we simply that we need to embrace the chaos a little bit more in a constructive and personal manner. More on that later in the year. In the meantime I wish you a peaceful summer and that you find the time to rest and recharge this summer. We Don’t Want Utopia: Just A Stress-free Day at WorkPublished on July 14, 2024 Following up on the ideas I talked about in Writing Software Is a Political Act, I discovered Andrew Harmel-Law’s math blog where I found this picture from XKCD. This made me chuckle but it also made me think – where does the software engineer end up in this picture of the universe? Are we looking… Read More »We Don’t Want Utopia: Just A Stress-free Day at Work
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The Human Software
Software systems rule our world. My regular newsletter explores the human factors that make software engineering so unique, so difficult, so important and all consuming.
Working in software you get to see some pretty stupid stuff. And I mean crazy, stupid stuff. Decisions that float down from on high from multiple disparate spheres of influence - sales teams, other business units or just vice-presidents with a Great New Idea[tm] or a pet project. The narrative goes a little like this - the important people get to make choices and us techies have to live with consequences them. Sometimes these decisions are on a whim, an industry hype, a desperate attempt to...
If you happen to be in London next week then I'll be having a little launch party on Wednesday October 15th. It's not just any pub as well, it's the pub that I used to go to when I was working in my first job in software development thirty years ago in 1995. The famous "Wheatsheaf" just off Oxford Street in London. This was the pub where many conversations got technical and many times got heated. I feel that Peter and Dominic would approve of the location. If you're in the area, please drop...
When I first started working in software, I discovered that were some battles you could win and some you couldn't. There were some decisions that no matter how logically you argued against you them, would occur anyway because that's just the way it is. Some people think this is a naive way of being; arguing against the status quo. I believe it's hopeful and humanistic to question our environment. Naivety in the form of hope lasts throughout life. I believe ultimately that people want to do...